(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the storage of recording media and particularly to improving the ease of filing and retrieving diskettes which contain machine readable data. More specifically, the present invention is directed to improved diskette holders of the type which may be received in albums, table stands or the like. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Holders for recording media, for example diskettes, i.e., "floppy discs", of the type employed for the storage of machine readable data, are well-known in the art. The typical prior art diskette holder is formed from a single blank of thermoplastic sheet material which is folded and subsequently sealed to itself to define a diskette receiving pocket or pockets. During the manufacture of these prior diskette holders, an edge strip is typically folded inwardly and sealed to the remainder of the holder so as to define a channel which receives a hinge pin. Upon insertion of the hinge pin, the holder may be filed in an album, table stand or the like. It is also common practice to provide, at the edge disposed oppositely to the hinge pin, an index receiving member comprised of a transparent material, an identification strip being removably received in this indexing member.
The prior art diskette holders are designed to hold the record media inserted therein by means of friction and thus must tightly abut an inserted diskette. This arrangement, however, impedes the introduction of a diskette into the holder. Furthermore, because of the nature of the thermoplastic sheet material from which the prior holders are fabricated, such holders are lacking in rigidity and this characteristic further increases the difficulty of use and particularly diskette insertion.